"Nothing will stop you from being creative so effectively
as the fear of making a mistake." - John Cleese

At The Creativity Institute, we do everything we can to help parents, grandparents and educators appreciate and nurture creativity in their children and students. We don't look for the trendiest toys or the newest gadgets in playthings. Our toy store features a wide selection of creativity-nurturing educational toys and pretend play toys. We're all about open-ended, imaginative play. Our goal is to help you lay a foundation for creative thought that will follow a child through life.

Puppets and puppet theaters and stages allow children to experience role-playing at various levels as they put on puppet shows. Building blocks let children create imaginative structures while experimenting with balance and the laws of physics. Art supplies and child-size easels let children create visual images that tell stories, capture moments and freely express themselves. Toy pianos can give a child their first experience with making their own music, and even improvising.

The Creativity Institute doesn't believe that every child can or should strive to be the next Picasso or Beethoven. But we do believe that every child will benefit from accessing and developing his or her own creative resources through these creative techniques and with creative toys, pretend play toys and opened-ended playthings. Creative ability at any level can enhance life satisfaction and career success, no matter what occupational avenue your child ultimately chooses. And this is the advantage we all wish for our children and why such basic pretend play toys as building blocks, puppets, toy pianos, soft climbers, easels and art supplies are so important throughout childhood. From quality brands such as Children's Factory, Get Ready Kids, Hansa Stuffed Animals, Guidecraft, KidKraft, Beka, Edushape, HaPe, Le Toy Van, Schoenhut and more.

Please enjoy shopping our secure shopping cart for pretend play toys to make your children as creative as they can be. If you have any questions or prefer to place your order by phone, you can call 312-330-2640 or toll-free at 888-814-TOYS.

AN EXCERPT FROM THE CREATIVITY INSTITUTE BLOG:“…permission to have crazy ideas” My partner and I spent many years on the creative side of the advertising and marketing industry and still do a bit of consulting. It was a fun, exciting career, but you were only as good as your last campaign. Expanding the horizons of your imagination was a necessary and ongoing pursuit. This fascination with the importance of thinking beyond obvious boundaries ultimately led to the creation of our store, The Creativity Institute…which brings me to the phrase “…permission to have crazy ideas.”

I borrowed it from an article in “Fast Company” about a company that built has been building a culture of creativity. It talks about inspired employees and customers and the resulting growth. But what does “…permission to have crazy ideas” mean to us as parents, grandparents and educators?

Creativity is freedom. Freedom to think without repercussion. Freedom to push the imaginary envelope without ridicule. Freedom to find the crazy in all of us that frequently leads to brilliance.

Adulthood offers more than enough opportunities to squash creative egos. For those of us fortunate enough to be in positions to inspire kids of all ages, please inspire, motivate, encourage…and most of all, give permission to find the crazy.